Atlantic Youth Hockey League

2018 AYHL All-Star Saturday Recap

HAMDEN, Conn. (February 5, 2017) – The Atlantic Youth Hockey League (AYHL) once again descended upon the campus of Quinnipiac University for its annual all-star games. Featuring the league’s top talent at three of the highest scouted divisions, the AYHL again put on an exciting event for both players and their families. Team Blue skated away with victories in two of the day's three contests.

“The league’s all-star games are always a highlight of the regular season,” commented AYHL Commissioner Gene Palecco. “The entire process from player nominations to schedule the event to allow an opportunity for some of the players and their families to experience their first Division I college hockey game is designed to provide a memorable experience for each of the players.”

For the first time in the event’s history, all three games were live streamed via the league’s broadcast partners at Hockey TV and the games will remain a part of Hockey TV’s on-demand library for the foreseeable future.

The day began with a defensive battle at 15-Pure, with Team White skating away with a 2-1 victory. Representing Team Blue, Mercer Chiefs forward Damien Carfanga (Wood Ridge, N.J.), opened the day's scoring just four minutes into the opening period. Long Island Royals forward Robert Hyde (North Babylon, N.Y.) netted the equalizer nearly ten minutes later.

The two first-period tallies would stand into the third, until Philadelphia Junior Flyers forward Zak Spero (Downingtown, Pa.) scored the game-winner with 14:09 to play.

Atypical to all-star games, it was the goalies that took center stage as Kyle Saul (Pleasantville, N.Y.), Anthony Russo (Bethpage, N.Y.), T.J. Semptimphelter (Marlton, N.J.), Harris Brotman (Bryn Mawr, Pa.), Brody Haynes (York, Pa.) and Jeremy Siegel (Richboro, Pa.) combined for 62 saves, including 20 in the final period as Team Blue desperately tried to find the equalizer.

In the second game of the day, it was again defense and goaltending that stole the show as Team Blue scored once in the second once in the third to skate away with a 2-0 victory in the 16U game. North Jersey Avalanche forward Travis Treloar (Alpine, N.J.) slid a puck into the net with 16 seconds remaining in the opening for what proved to be the game-winner.

The single goal would stand up as Treloar’s Avalanche teammate Ty Franchi (Denville, N.J.) paired with New Jersey Devils Youth keeper Jonathan Berko and Washington Little Capitals netminder Connor Leslie (Leesburg, Va.) to stop 29 shots on the day to preserve the shutout. North Jersey Avalanche forward Christian Sarlo (Lynbrook, N.Y.) added an insurance goal in the third to provide the final margin of victory.

In the final game of the day, a three-goal second period proved to be too much as Team Blue skated away with a 6-2 victory over Team White in the 18U game. Virtua Hockey forward Michael Colella (Turnersville, N.J.) and North Jersey Avalanche forward Cooper Fensterstock (Matthews, N.C.) each netted a pair of goals as Team Blue fired 40 shots on goal in the top offensive display of the day.

Colella’s first goal of the game would be the only score of the opening period, however Team Blue would find the back of the net three times over a five-minute stretch to break the game open. Avalanche forward C.J. McGee (Pearl River, N.Y.) began the game-deciding stretch and would be followed by Fensterstock’s first goal of the game just two minutes later. Colella would again find the back of the net to round out the stretch. Fensterstock would score his second of the game to four minutes into the third and New Jersey Colonials forward Dominick Posta (Tuxedo, N.Y.) added a late goal to round out the scoring.

The Atlantic Youth Hockey League is the USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier I AAA youth hockey league of the Atlantic District. From Connecticut to Maryland, the AYHL’s membership is comprised of over 100 teams, representing four districts, and is spread across six playing divisions. The AYHL’s mission is to develop young players with competition, fun, and good sportsmanship, and move them on to the next phase of their hockey career. With a distinguished alumni list of players that spent a portion of their playing career in the AYHL, today’s players choose to play in the AYHL knowing that it is a proven stepping stone for those serious in their hockey pursuits.